Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-11-24

girls.
He came into my room one night
with face pale and troubled.
Fred" he said, Il have a confess
sion to make. and I want your advice
and sympathy-no, your sympathy l
have no right to claim, but l believe
your counsel will be good and worth
following"
II am flattered by your opinion" l
returned. laying aside the book l was
reading. What is your trouble?"
"You know l am engaged to Bessie"
Bessie is my pretty little cousin.
YES" answered. laconically.
"And you know-you know"-he
hesitated and colored.
II know great many things. but
not this special thing you are going to
tell me-"
"You know am in love with Blanch
Bernard"
IL have every reason to believe so. ="
"Iknow am a wretch-a villain OF
the first water-''
II can't quite agree with YOU" in
terrupted; "still-" 1 paused at this
point, rather doubtful of how to pro-
coed.
Il told you, Fred. that 1 didn't ex-
pect your sympathy"
"And yet you have it." interrupted
again, with significant shrug.
I'm sure I'm an object of sympa-
pathy," he said. dejectedly; engaged
to one woman and madly in love with
another one. Bessie is the best, the
sweetest. the dearest girl on earth, but
oh! Fred, what shall I do? 1 am
tempted, sometimes, to take a pistol
and make an end of the whole misera-
BILE affair. If man could marry both
of them-but that is impossible.
CLEARLY impossible; SO you must
select some safer channel for the course
of your true love than suicide or big
amy"
"Well. came to ask your advice,
and whatever you advise-Fred. am
the most miserable man on earth and
see no possible way out of my difficult
| ties"
1.-THE first thing to do" said, sis to
ask Bessie to release you from your
! present bondage; the second, to ask
Miss Bernard
Il can't bear to think of asking Bes-
sie"-
''Sit right down here at once" l
said. authoritatively, placing a chair
at my writing-desk, 'and write the
exact truth to Bessie. You will have
to break with her sooner or later, and
the sooner it is done the better for you
| both"
''You are very anxious" he said,
pettishly. II believe you've always
had a liking for Bessie yourself"
'.And SO have" said. smiling at
this betrayal of pique and jealousy.
"You have no right to be jealous, as
you no longer care for her."
II do care for her, am devoted to
her, but not in the way l care for
Blanch."
Exactly; just as 1 said. Now,
| Clarence, no nonsense; if you are tired
of the old love, be off with her as soon
rs you please, but don't make love to
the old and the new at one and the
same time. don't understand how a
man who has been in love with a girl
like Bessie could descend to a Blanch
Bernard, but every one to his taste.
To be sure, have arrived at years of
discretion, and can no longer be led
captive by pair of brilliant eyes and
a mass of shining Fair. l admit there
is wide difference between twenty
five and thirty-five.'
Clarence flushed holly.
major Reynolds" he exclaimed.
spiritedly, lis as mad about Blanch as
l am. He makes himself absurd when
ever he is in her presence. and I am
sure you can't make his youth a pre-
text for sneering at his taste and judy
ment."
Il can't account for his madness
except on the principle that one fool
makes many, or that extremes meet,
and an old fool and a young fool meet
on the same plane" l replied. smiling
ly and placidly.
Il am ready to admit that am a
fool-in your opinion-and the ques-
ton will require no arguing" he said
impatiently. lingering his moustache
nervously. but l came to you for
advice. not criticism. Now tell me.
Fred. seriously, do you think would
be justified. honorably justified, in
breaking with Bessie under the cir
cumstances?"
Seriously. Clarence. 1 think you
would be justified in doing nothing
else; you would certainly not be hon
orably justified in marrying one
woman while in love with another
one. Do not allow yourself to be
deceived by any false and sentimental
notions of honor. If you have ceased
| to love Bessie, tell her SO at once"
'Well. will" he said, resolutely.
He seated himself at my desk and
wrote letter which he entrusted to
me to deliver.
l decided in my own mind that
Clarence's infatuaticn for Miss Bernard